Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy’s (PPMD) goal is to end Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and they’ve just made another step in the right direction. They have recently announced the launch of their grant program, which will aid medical professionals in their work. The money will help improve the diagnostic process, pediatric care for DMD, and transitional/adult care for DMD.
About DMD
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is one of the nine forms of muscular dystrophy. Affected individuals experience progressive muscle weakness and wasting due to a lack of dystrophin. Symptoms include issues with motor skills, muscle weakness, falling, fatigue, issues with changing positions, problems walking, learning disabilities, and eventually heart disease and respiratory failure. All of these effects are caused by a mutation passed down on the X chromosome in a recessive pattern. This is why males are more likely to be affected than females. There is currently no cure for this condition, but treatments can help to manage symptoms.
About the Grant Program
PPMD’s program includes up to the three grants of a maximum of $150,000 per collaborative center. In order to apply, one must be a part of the Certified Duchenne Care Center network. As PPMD aims to support a minimum of six centers, a lot of money could be poured into DMD research.
Specifically, the organization hopes to grant money to each of the following efforts: transitional and adult DMD care, pediatric DMD care, and the diagnostic process, which includes community education and early intervention.
The first step in applying for these grants is the pre-application. If PPMD likes what they see, they’ll send an invitation to officially apply. The winners will be announced on March 19.
Looking Forward
When centers receive their grants, they will be expected to present all of their data at PPMD’s bi-annual Duchenne Healthcare Professionals Summits, which will be held in 2022 and 2024. Their results should also be published in a peer-reviewed journal.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on rare disease research, PPMD hopes that these grants will allow for much-needed advances in DMD knowledge and care.
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